Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts and Sciences, chemistry and astrophysics
Convocation Award recipient: John David Barnwell Memorial Award
Future plans? Pursuing a PhD in Chemistry at California Institute of Technology.
How does it feel to be an Illinois alum? It honestly feels like just yesterday that I was sitting in Noyes 100 listening to my first Illinois chemistry lecture. I couldn't be more honored to become an Illinois alum, and to have been gifted with all the amazing memories and experiences that come along with that title.
Major highlight? I started dancing on a team called Dance 2XS Caliente during my freshman year. I've had the opportunity to travel, choreograph, teach and perform across the Midwest with this team, and I'll carry that with me for the rest of my life.
Undergraduate research: I was a member of the Joaquín Rodríguez-López group, and I owe so much to the mentorship I received during my time in the lab. Dr. Rodríguez-López gave me the freedom to run my own project during my sophomore year, and it was failures, hurdles and eventual successes in the following years that convinced me research was what I wanted to do after graduation. I owe so much to Dr. Rodríguez-López, my mentor from Lawrence Livermore National Lab, Dr. Christine Orme, and many others in the lab.
Awards: National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (2025), Hertz Fellowship Finalist (2025), Homecoming Court (2024), Undergraduate Research Symposium Outstanding Presentation (2023).
Activities and organizations: Latin dancing with Dance 2XS Caliente, The Sazón Collective, The Urbana Dance Company, and the Don Moyer Boys and Girls Club. I worked as an Undergraduate Research Ambassador for several years in the Office of Undergraduate Research. I was also a Campus Honors Program Connections Mentor for two years. I think all of these activities taught me lessons I couldn't have learned otherwise, so in that sense, they did have an impact on my education.
Who had an impact on your educational journey? There are so many to choose from. I took Organic Chemistry with Dr. Axelson when I was a senior in high school, and that further confirmed that chemistry was the right major for me. Physical Chemistry with Dr. So Hirata was a magical class and taught me that it was possible for me to enjoy doing math. Stellar Astrophysics with Dr. Brian Fields was hands down one of the best classes I've ever taken. Going backpacking in Yellowstone with Dr. Robert Pahre in Political Science 224 was the most immersive way to learn about national park policies. I also learned an incredible amount from Dr. Prashant Jain's chalk-talk approach to Physical Chemistry II. I could easily go on for several more paragraphs, and I feel grateful to have had such amazing instruction.
Keys to your success? Even though the point of a college education is primarily to educate, there is so much more to learn than what is taught in a lecture hall. Having other activities outside of class (research, dance, mentoring) was crucial to keeping a level head throughout the past four years.
Why Illinois? Illinois really has it all; It's an R1 research university, so the research opportunities are top notch; it has a massive student body and has ample opportunities for extracurriculars.